Texas Gov. Rick Perry nibbles a corn dog as he makes his way up the Grand Concourse at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 15. (Justin Hayworth/The Des Moines Register)

The slow week on the Iowa campaign trail heats up this weekend when Texas Gov. Rick Perry joins three other speakers at the Polk County GOP summer picnic on Saturday.

“We received a call from a member of the governor’s staff confirming,” organizer Darrell Kearney told The Des Moines Register this morning.

George Pataki, a former New York governor who is considering a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, will also speak – and Iowans are buzzing over whether he could use the event to declare his intentions.

Rounding out the list are Ron Paul, a Texas congressman who finished second in the Aug. 13 straw poll in Ames, and Thaddeus McCotter, a Michigan congressman who finished last among candidates named on the ballot.

Here’s how Polk County GOP officials described Perry in their news release:

“Rick Perry is a staunch fiscal and social conservative, and the only governor since World War II to reduce state general revenue spending.

Governor Perry has a strong record on job creation. His support for low taxes, reasonable regulations, a predictable civil litigation system and an educated workforce has produced a business climate consistently ranked among the best in the nation.

Governor Perry has actively encouraged employers to relocate to Texas or expand their operations in the state. Since June 2009, more than 40 percent of the net new jobs created in America have been created in Texas, and today, the Lone Star State is a magnet for corporate relocations.

Texas, under his leadership, has been in the spotlight in recent weeks because for nine straight years, Texas has led the nation in exports to foreign countries among the 50 states. More jobs were created in Texas than in all 49 other states combined!”

The Saturday event will run from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Jalapeno Pete’s restaurant at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

The picnic, which costs $25 per person, will feature activities such as tractor rides around the fairgrounds. For information, contact Kearney at (515) 280-6438 or at dkearney@polkgop.com.